Increase Communication To Ease Employee Anxiety

A great way to stop the uncertainty often felt by your employees is to create an environment of confidence by communicating with them well and often

. In difficult times, the rumor mill works overtime among your employees and you need to respond to the rumors fast. It is critical for senior management to talk freely and honestly with the workforce in order to keep the rumors in check. This article gives five strategies to help ease employee anxiety and stop the rumor mills in their tracks.

1. Availability

Senior management should make it a priority to be seen by and accessible to their entire workforce. It is key that, if there are problems or challenges that the company is facing, you do not wait until they have been resolved to let your employees know. Rather, keep them apprised as to the steps the company is taking and the progress it is making as the situation evolves. In challenging times, it is even more critical to be there and available to your employees. It is not only important to communicate and to share with your employees, but to establish confidence in the company in order to keep the rumors and gossip to a minimum.

2. Don't Hide From Bad News

You have nothing to gain by withholding bad news from your employees - they know times are tough and that your business will have to adapt in order to survive. If you try to pretend that everything is perfect, your employees will lose their trust in you, and communication will become harder. Letting your employees know when changes need to be made is the best thing you can do to stop rumors. When employees trust you to tell them the bad news, they will stop believing office gossip and wait to hear the truth from you.

3. Stress Face to Face Communication

A majority of bad news is communicated through memos and e-mails. While it may seem more time effective when every second counts, workplace productivity is effected by such impersonal communication. Studies prove that in-person communication develops confidence and is understood better than a less personal approach. True, you may be faced with questions you aren't prepared for, but that is okay. Employees don't expect you to know all the answers, but have real appreciation for your effort at keeping them part of the process by talking directly to them.

4. Hear Your Employees

The two-way conversation in face-to-face communication is a huge advantage. Many employees will be able to give you solid suggestions to resolve the challenges the company faces, but this is not the only advantage to listening to your workforce. The mere knowledge that senior management values their ideas and reactions to the situation enough to listen and speak with them can propel your employees to re-commit to the company and to you as a manager.

5. Acknowledge the Unknowns

Be honest with your employees about the knowns and the unknowns. They will understand that you don't know all the answers yet, and will trust you more and understand the situation better by being told where the uncertainties lie. It is not productive to promise things you can't yet deliver, it is better to discuss the chances and prospects for success.

The only way to get the best out of your employees is through communication, the foundation of good management practice. Regardless of the company's situation, make it a goal to always communicate openly, truthfully, and frankly.

by: Wendy Mack

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